dubizzle, the UAE’s classifieds platform, has announced the appointment of two new senior members of staff to its regional advertising team. Jonathon Padron will join as Head of Ad Operations – AMEA and Chadi Antonios as Head of Sales/Advertising – GCC.

Currently receiving over 17M visits per month, dubizzle has been the dominant platform for users to buy, sell and find things within their community since its launch in 2005. Throughout this period, the firm has experienced consistent growth, and its investment in new talent reflects the continued drive towards strengthening its position as a leader in the online classifieds space.

Both new joiners come with a wealth of knowledge in the advertising space and will lend great value in expanding the capabilities of the team.Anthony Blackford, Director of Advertising AMEA, commented: “I’m super excited to add both Chadi and Jonathon to the team given the years of experience they both bring to the table. Jonathon is coming from the US, undoubtedly the global leader in Ad tech and is clearly an expert in his field. Chadi comes with a proven track record of building several successful media sales teams in the region, including Yahoo and 7wai. I have no doubt we’ve made 2 excellent hires and am excited about the future.”

Jonathon Padron, dubizzle new Head of Ad Operations AMEA said: “I am humbled by the opportunity to join such a high caliber organization in the trailblazing world-city of Dubai. It is exciting to be part of an innovative global team seamlessly connecting buyers and sellers. I look forward to continuing to delight our users and enabling marketers to reach their customers at the right time, in the right context.”Jonathon joins dubizzle from the Center for American Progress in Washington, D.C., where he led site and ad technology product development, oversaw vendor and partner management and handled Content Management Systems. Prior to this role, he worked as a Senior Analyst at one of the leading media measurement and analytics companies, comScore, where he developed analytical reports on areas ranging from market sizing and competitive intelligence.

Commenting on his new position as Head of Sales/Advertising – GCC, Chadi Antonios added: “The way I look at it, you always want to work for a brand that you consistently use or experience, and dubizzle is one of those brands. I am honored and delighted to lead and empower the commercial team at dubizzle, the number one classified destination in the region. And looking forward to working with our agencies and partners to bring innovative solutions and personalized experiences to users and advertisers across the MENA region.”

Chadi brings over 15 years of experience leading digital strategy in markets in the Middle East as well as North America, most recently as Head of Strategic Partnerships at Pixelbug, a Mixed Reality technology company based in Dubai/Canada. Previously, Chadi led Digital Strategy and Partnerships at 7awi, a leading online media publisher in MENA, where he built their commercial department from the ground-up, driving a digital transformation strategy with a focus on adopting new technologies including Augmented Reality.